


Better

by ironyruinedmylife



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Cisco worries, Earl Povich is a gross douchebagel, Harrison really isnt that much better, M/M, This one is an angst fest, This one was supposed to be cute, fake relationship au, poor Hartley, tw abuse, where did i go wrong?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-07-10 14:59:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6990115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironyruinedmylife/pseuds/ironyruinedmylife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You deserve better.” Cisco stated in a voice that brooked no argument “Way better.”</p><p>-</p><p>Or in which Hartley's ex tracks him to STAR labs and in desperation Hartley asks Cisco to help him out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AlexiaBlackbriar13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexiaBlackbriar13/gifts).



> This one isn't very happy folks, TRIGGER WARNING FOR ABUSE. 
> 
> Also, Harrison is a douchebag, and Hartley is only just beginning to see it.

“Ramon, I know you hate me but I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.” Cisco turned slowly, eyebrows raised, to see Hartley Rathaway, Ice Prince of Star Labs, blushing pink and shifting from foot to foot anxiously. Cisco frowned as he registered what the annoying little man had said.  
  
“ _Excuse_ _me?_ ” He asked slowly. Hartley huffed and glanced over his shoulder  
  
“Listen, my shitty ex is here and I _really_ can’t deal with him right now. Please, _please_ , just tolerate me for a few minutes.” He begged, and _okay_ , Cisco was intrigued.   
  
“Okay.” He replied casually. Hartley’s eyes widened as he continued to babble in a way that could be considered nervous if Hartley wasn’t a _literal demon_ and therefore didn’t _have_ emotions.  
  
“Please, he’s going to- wait, you’ll do it?”   
  
“I said I would,” Cisco snarled, already bored. Hartley nodded like this was a common occurrence and attempted his usual obnoxious smirk and silently Cisco wondered why Hartley was so thrown off balance by this latest edition to his long, _long_ line of conquests.   
  
“ _Thank you_ , Cisquito,” Hartley offered. Cisco raised an eyebrow and walked over to the monitors  
  
“So where is he?” He asked. Hartley walked over, and Cisco noted with interest that his hands were shaking slightly. Why did this man have such an effect on the usually unmovable man? Something to be considered later, when he wasn’t stuck in a ‘relationship’ with said man. Hartley pointed to a particular screen where-  
  
“Holy _fuck_ , he’s _huge_ ,” Cisco breathed. Hartley nodded  
  
“That's Earl.” He smiled tightly. The guy was _massive_ , taller than anyone Cisco knew and built like he belonged in a WWE ring. In the back of his mind Cisco began to piece together the reaction Hartley had to the giant and the stormy expression on said giants face. Then the man began to move closer to their lab and Cisco watched in barely concealed concern as Hartley’s stability deteriorated  
  
“Oh _fuck_ , he’s coming, Cisco, I-” Cisco grabbed his waist, picked him up and placed him on his desk, leaning in close he smiled, despite the trembling he could now feel. “What are you _doing?”_  
  
“You’re my boyfriend, play along.” Hartley nodded, eyes wide as he wrapped his legs around Cisco’s waist and slung his arms over his shoulders, plastering a _far_ too convincing coy smile onto his face as he snickered, and only Cisco could feel the tension humming through the smaller mans body as they listened to the footsteps come closer  
  
“Hartley.” Cisco felt his ‘boyfriend’ immediately flinch as he looked over Cisco’s shoulder  
  
“Earl, what are you doing here?” He asked in a voice that Cisco recognised as his nervous one, despite the fact that his only tell was the ever so slight trembling.   
  
“I came for you, you haven’t returned my calls,” The behemoth stated. Hartley raised an eyebrow  
  
“We broke up six months ago,” He replied coolly. The man glowered at them  
  
“You’re still _mine_ , no matter how quickly you try to replace me.” He growled. Cisco blinked, _that_ didn’t sound good  
  
“I’m not your anything, I’m not an object.” Hartley said, voice getting smaller every syllable. Cisco frowned as the dots connected.   
  
“You’re a fucking _slut_ is what you are.” Earl, who was apparently far closer than he had realised, grabbed Hartley's wrist and hauled him closer, ignoring the pained gasp  
  
“Let me _go_ , asshole!” Hartley snarled, Earl however continued, until the smaller man was pulled flush against him “We’re _done_ , Earl, we broke up.”   
  
“Don’t care.” Earl smiled widely, all shattered glass and walking through a minefield. Cisco felt frozen in his spot as he watched  
  
“You are an abusive _dick_ and I want _nothing_ to do with you.” Hartley struggled to get away only for the man to still him with a bruising grip that made a small whimper escape his throat.  
  
“I _told_ you I had a temper problem, babe,” Earl wheedled “Really, it’s your fault that I had to hurt you, setting me off like that.”  
  
“Stop it.” Hartley pleaded, trying to cover his ears as the man continued  
  
“And now I come to take your sorry ass back and I find you practically fucking this asshole, _god_ Hart, you’ve really let yourself slip, this is _disgusting_.”   
  
Hartley whimpered and Cisco _snapped_ , he walked up to the hulking man and decked him. Hartley fell away as Earl leapt backwards, blood pouring from his nose. Cisco grabbed Hartley and pulled him back, thankfully just as Earl looked up with murder in his eyes and a snarl on his lips Dr Wells and some Well Timed Security Men walked in and began to drag Earl away.   
  
Cisco watched until Earl was firmly out of sight and earshot, then he turned to Hartley and began scanning the smaller man “Are you alright? _Are you alright?!”_ He asked, running his hands over Hartley’s arms as he stood stock still, trembling. “Did he hurt you? I swear to god if he hurt you I’ll-”  
  
Cisco found his words cut off by Hartley lunging for him and flinging his arms around his neck, an endless string of thanks slipping from his lips in a hundred different languages, whispering into Cisco’s neck like he was afraid someone would hear him being human. Cisco wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed the side of his head. Previous dislike aside, Hartley wouldn’t _ever_ be afraid like this again, not if he could help it.   
  
When Hartley finally pulled back Cisco smiled tentatively as he scrubbed at his eyes, “Friends?” He offered. Hartley looked like he wanted to smile but hadn’t quite figured out the theory behind the motion yet.  
  
“Friends.” He replied in a voice that felt like fear and hope and _longing_ and Cisco hadn’t heard anything quite as heartbreaking or inspiring in a long time. “Thank you…for…y’know…I mean-”  
  
“You’re a dick, but you don’t deserve _that_.”   
  
“ _Well_ , I kinda-”  
  
“You deserve better.” Cisco stated in a voice that brooked no argument “ _Way_ better.” He shook his head at the spot Earl had occupied. Hartley smiled   
  
“Maybe I already have it.” He said shyly. Cisco raised an eyebrow as Dr Wells walked over and immediately folded Hartley into a hug, resting his chin atop the smaller mans head and really Cisco pretended not to feel uneasy as he watched the pair interact.  
  
“Are you okay?” Dr Wells asked, pulling back to turn Hartley’s face this way and that, checking for injuries  
  
“I’m fine, _really_ , Harrison, calm down.” Hartley laughed, still a little unsure but far better than before. Harrison sighed a little in relief then looked down and saw the hand shaped bruise on Hartley’s slender wrist “Harry, don’t, he-”  
  
And okay first of all, _Harry?_  
  
Second of all, he had never really considered Dr Wells frightening, however suddenly he had no doubts about what the man was capable of.  
  
“You’re hurt. He _hurt_ you.” Dr Wells said in a voice like ice. Hartley sighed  
  
“Yes, but he’s _gone_ now, hopefully never to return.” Hartley chuckled. Harrison pulled him into his arms again  
  
“If he does, I’ll kill him.” And Cisco didn’t miss the hard as diamond determination on his employers face and the familiar unease on Hartley’s.  
  
It seemed Hartley’s ‘Better’ wasn’t all that much of an improvement after all.   
  
He could only hope that Hartley would let him help to pick up the pieces when it all fell apart.

**Author's Note:**

> I warned you, also, as usual, please leave a comment or kudos! Thanks for reading!


End file.
